Review: Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash
Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash was just released. This is the fourth cannon ball shaped variety of rum in the Captain Morgan stable of rum. The others include Cannon Blast, Jack-O-Blast, and Loconut. These flavors weighs in at 70, 60, and 40 proof. Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash hits the scale at 50 proof. All are designed to be enjoyed as a chilled shot or mixed in a tasty cocktail. Watermelon Smash is made with rum distilled in St Croix. Natural flavors and certified colors are blended with the rum upon its arrival in the US. How much watermelon flavor does the Captain pack into this rum? I could smell the watermelon from the shelf the bottle sat on. Maybe because the bottles label is watermelon scented, or maybe because there is just too much watermelon flavor to contain in one bottle. Read more 
Review: Malibu Lime Rum
Malibu Lime Rum was just released. This is not the first time Malibu has created a lime flavored rum. A previous Malibu Lime was produced until 2003. This is one of 15 rum varieties Malibu currently produces. With lime being such a popular flavor to mix with rum, I’m a little surprised Malibu went 15 years without having a lime flavored rum. But checking Bacardi Rums flavor lineup they don’t a lime flavored rum either. The rum base for Malibu is made from molasses created from the finest sugar cane crops and pure water. After fermenting with a proprietary yeast the spirit is distilled 3 times at the West Indies Distillery in Barbados. The rum is barreled and shipped to Canada where lime liqueur is infused with the rum before bottling at 42 proof. Read more
Review: Bumbu Rum
Bumbu Rum is made at the historic West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. The distillery was founded in 1893 by two German Brothers and was recently acquired by Maison Ferrand. Yes this is the rum Lil Wayne shouts out in two of his newest songs featured on his Dedication 6 release. Those tracks are Fly Away and New Freezer. Bumbu Rum is based on the original recipe created by 16th and 17th century sailors of the West Indies. This spice grog was called Bumbu. They made their version by blending navy strength rum with native fruits and herbs of the Caribbean. In making the current Bumbu Rum a little more care is given in crafting the rum base. The Master Distillers select sugarcane from eight countries including Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, and Honduras. The terroir of each countries sugarcane contributes unique flavor characteristics. The spirit is fermented with a yeast strain that dates back to 1840. Bumba is distilled using two continuous stills and aged up to 15 years in Grade A once used bourbon barrels. Spices, fruits, and herbs, all 100% natural ingredients are added to the rum after aging and prior to bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Don Q Pina Rum
Don Q Pina Rum was released August 2017. It is just making its way to my market. This may be the result of Hurricane Maria shutting down production for several weeks at Destileria Serralles. Pina is one of five flavored rums produced under the Don Q label. The others include Coco, Limon, Mojito, and Pasion. The Serralles Family has been distilling rum in Puerto Rico since 1865 using a copper pot still imported from France. Don Q Pina Rum is made with the finest molasses, fresh volcanic mountain water from the Rio Inabon, and a unique strain of yeast kept alive and in use for over 75 years. After fermentation the spirit is distilled five times and aged 12-18 months in American White Oak Barrels. The rum is charcoal filtered. Natural pineapple juice is infused with the rum base before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Big Five Coconut Rum
Big Five Coconut Rum is one of three rums crafted at St Petersburg Distillery under the Big Five Label. The other two are Big 5 Silver, and Big 5 Gold Rum. Big Five Rum is named for the five grand social clubs that thrived in Havana in the 1950’s. For the record those clubs included The Vedado Tennis Club, Miramar Yacht Club, Biltmore Yacht and Country Club, Havana Yacht Club, and Casino Espanol. Big 5 rum is made from sugar cane molasses sourced from South Florida sugar growers. The rum is column distilled four times and pot distilled once. The spirit is then artisan water proofed over four stages, charcoal filtered twice, and rested for 48 hours at each stage. The resting period gives the water and spirit time to marry. Natural coconut flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Gubba Silver Rum
Gubba Silver Rum was introduced in 2013 along with Gubba Gold Rum. After visiting St Martin with his wife and tasting delicious Island crafted rum liqueur, I’m guessing Toppers Rhum, Gubba Rum owner Steven Gubb was inspired to create a new different tasting rum. Gubba Rums are crafted using a technique that dates back to the 1800’s. These artisanal organic and naturally infused rums are made from pure organic cane and the finest fruits, spices, and herbs. Gubba Silver Rum is distilled at Dancing Pines Distillery in Loveland Colorado. It is unfiltered and infused with organic coconut. Read more
Review: Cruzan Tropical Fruit Rum
Cruzan Tropical Fruit Rum was just released. It is one of 23 rum varieties, 16 of them flavored rums, currently produced by Cruzan. In 1760 a sugar mill began crushing sugar cane at the current site of the Cruzan Distillery. Since the early 1800’s the Nelthropp Family has lived on the island of St Croix and worked at this distillery. The eighth generation is currently working at this distillery. Cruzan Tropical Fruit is made from cane molasses and tropical rain water. After a five column distillation the rum is aged in oak barrels. Natural flavors including Pineapple, Passion Fruit, Guava, Lime, and Orange and added before bottling at 42 proof. Read more
Review: Blackmask Island Coconut Spiced Pacific Rum
Blackmask Island Coconut Spiced Pacific Rum is one of 4 rum varieties produced by United Winery and Distillery in Nakhon Pathom Thailand. The other varieties include Original Spiced, Black Premo, and Tropical Chai. Each starts with a cask aged pacific rum base. Island spices and coconut are infused with that rum base in creating Blackmask Island Coconut. Coconut rum may be synonyms with the Caribbean, but the coconut is native to Asia, so it’s only natural a distillery in Thailand would make a coconut rum of their own. Read more
Review: Blue Chair Bay Key Lime Rum Cream
Blue Chair Bay Key Lime Rum Cream was recently released. I have been checking liquor stores shelves for weeks since I first heard of it’s existence. It is one of eight rum varieties Kenny Chesney has in his Blue Chair Bay product line. I have enjoyed all of them so far. Key Lime Rum Cream starts with a white rum base, distilled and aged in oak barrels at the West Indies Rum distillery in Barbados. The rum is shipped to Rochester New York where real cream, key lime, and other natural flavors are blended before bottling at 30 proof. Read more
Review: Bacardi Banana Rum
Bacardi Banana Rum was just released. This is one of ten flavored rums in their current product line. If you thought they had more, they did at one time, but several flavors have been dropped. Bacardi Banana starts with a rum base made from molasses, and a single strain of yeast, Le Levadura Bacardi. After fermenting for 30 hours in closed fermentation tanks, the fermented molasses is split. Some is column distilled, and some beer distilled. Each is aged separately in charred American white oak barrels previously used to age bourbon. Once mature the rums are blended and filtered through a mix of charcoal made from tropical woods and coconut shells. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. While this is Bacardi’s first banana flavored rum I have already reviewed 7 other banana flavored rums. I can’t wait to see how Bacardi Banana Rum compares with the others. Read more